Method and device for improved post construction

ABSTRACT

An improved post comprising a continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin rod, any hollow post or pipe, and a filler material. The filler material may be selected from a number of materials including, but not limited to, a high compressive strength material such as grout that comprises Portland cement, calcium sulphoaluminate, graded fine to powdery sand, and water or a rigid closed cell urethane foam. The method of installing said post comprising driving said rod into the surface of the ground; placing said post over said rod; and inserting said filler into the space between said rod and the inside of said post. The disclosed post is self-realigning because of the rebounding nature of the rod allowing the post to remain upright or return to plumb after being knocked out of vertical alignment by an outside force.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the provisional U.S. patent application No. 62/238,772 entitled “Improved Post,” filed Oct. 8, 2015.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the Improved Post, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances, various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. Therefore the drawings may not be to scale.

FIG. 1 is a post comprising any hollow post or pipe. There are many standard size fence posts that can be used which allows for the use of readily available hardware for the attachments to the post. However, the post must have an internal diameter that is at least 25% larger than the external diameter of the rod.

FIG. 2 is the Improved Post which comprises a rod, a post, and a filler in the space between the rod and the inside of the post. The Improved Post uses a rod made of high-tensile strength continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin and a high-compressive strength filler to create a metal post that remains upright or returns to plumb after being knocked out of vertical alignment by an external force.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the Improved Post that demonstrates the space between the rod and post where the filler is located.

BACKGROUND

Fence and building frame posts bear substantial loads caused by wind and other external forces. Severe weather, such as hurricanes, windstorms, and lighting, can batter or even uproot sections of a fence. Because the fence posts are an important facet of the integrity of the fence structure, it is necessary that the posts be able to withstand such forces.

Fence posts, which are typically made of metal or other durable materials, are generally installed by driving the post into the ground and then possibly adding backfill or fill material (concrete, gravel, soil, etc.) to cover the hole. The backfill material helps the post remain upright should an external force act upon it. However, this configuration and the structural characteristics of the metal post itself make the post unyielding and inflexible. Consequently, if strong enough external forces act on the post, the post can shift—causing damage down the fence line—or the post can even be uprooted. This would require digging up the post, bracing or resetting it, and then applying more fill material.

Furthermore, when a gate is attached to a post, the moving parts (i.e., hinges and latches) may require periodic lubrication in order to allow the gate to continue to swing freely. The gate itself may even have to be repaired, including one or more gatepost or fencing sections adjoining the gate, if the moving attachment parts are damaged by an external force.

The Improved Post disclosed herein improves upon traditional post design by using a rod made of high-tensile strength continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin and a high-compressive strength filler to create a metal post that remains upright or returns to plumb after being knocked out of vertical alignment by an external force. The “self-realignment” is the result of the rebounding nature of the rod. Thus the Improved Post allows a fence or building frame to withstand relatively higher external forces without being damaged or uprooted. Furthermore, the Improved Post allows for the construction of a hingeless gate, avoiding excessive upkeep on moving parts and ensuring that the gate can withstand higher external forces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of rods, fillers, and post. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the disclosed invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional post that is presently known in the art comprising two ends with one end 1 inserted into the ground such that the post stands in an upright, vertical fashion. FIG. 2 shows the Improved Post which comprises a rod 3, a post 1, and a filler 2. A rod 3 is placed in the ground. Then, a post 1 is placed over and around the rod 3. Finally, a filler 2 is added to the space between the rod and the inside of the post.

The use of a high-tensile strength rod allows the Improved Post to be pushed over and “spring” back into its original orientation once the pressure that forced the post over is removed. The Improved Post can be used for various purposes, including, but not limited to, fence posts, building frames, and hingeless gates.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the rod 3 comprises high-tensile strength continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin rods or shafts. In one embodiment, the rod 3 has over 80,000 psi (pounds per square inch) tensile strength. The rod 3 allows the attached hollow post 1 to return to an upright position or return to plumb after being knocked out of vertical alignment by a force being exerted upon the disclosed post. The “self-realignment” is the result of the rebounding nature of the rod. The rod will return to its pre-deformed shape without displaying any “memory” of the bend or curve that it was forced into due to the exertion of a force upon the Improved Post.

The post 1 comprises a hollow post or pipe that has an internal diameter that is at least 25% larger than the external diameter of the rod 3. This configuration allows for the use of inexpensive and readily available hardware for the attachments to the post. The heavier the gauge of metal the post is comprised of, the more resistant the post will be to damage or bending. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a number of different metals or other materials may be used in order to perform or create the disclosed invention. The person using the disclosed method and device may select the appropriate post 1 material in order to meet the specific needs of the area of utilization by considering a number of different factors including, but not limited to, lateral soil pressure and average wind speed.

Referring to FIG. 3, a filler 2 is inserted into the space between the rod 3 and the inside of the surrounding post 1. In one embodiment, the filler is a high-compressive strength material. The filler can be any material that has a compressive strength of 5,000 to 10,000 psi. In one embodiment, the filler 2 is comprised of a high-compressive strength material is grout that comprises Portland cement, calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement, graded fine to powdery sand, and water. In another embodiment, the filler 2 is cement. The disclosed exemplary mixtures quickly harden and, once inserted between the rod 3 and the inside of the post 1, cause the post to take on the characteristics of the rod, which prevents any separate movement between the rod 3 and the post land forces them to move as one. In one embodiment, the filler is only partially inserted between the rod 3 and hollow post 1, such that only the bottommost parts of the hollow post and rod are joined by the filler. In an alternate embodiment, the filler comprises arigid closed cell urethane foam.

In an additional embodiment, one end of the rod 3 is driven into the ground at a depth that will exceed the driven depth of the post 1. Preferably, the depth of the rod will be at least 24 inches into the ground. The post 1 is then placed in a vertical orientation over the rod with its bottom end at ground level. The filler 2 is then added between the rod 3 and the inside of the post 1. In another embodiment, after the filler is added to the space 2 between the rod 3 and the post 1, the post is tapped several times while the filler is still fluid to consolidate and remove air voids.

In another embodiment, the majority of the rod 3 is driven into the ground, but a portion still remains above the surface of the ground. In this embodiment, it is preferred that at least 10 inches of the rod remain above the surface of the ground.

In another embodiment, in addition to the filler 2 used between the rod 3 and the post 1, the entire hollow post 1 is also filled with a cement filler. The use of cement filler on the inside of the hollow post, in addition to the filler used between the rod and post, which may or may not be a cement filler, increases the resistance of the post.

For the purpose of understanding the Improved Post, references are made in the text to exemplary embodiments of an Improved Post, only some of which are described herein. It should be understood that no limitations on the scope of the invention are intended by describing these exemplary embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that alternate but functionally equivalent components, materials, designs, and equipment may be used. The inclusion of additional elements may be deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Specific elements disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the present invention.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized should be or are in any single embodiment. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the Improved Post may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale; instead, emphasis has been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, like reference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or near identical structural elements.

Moreover, the terms “substantially” or “approximately” as used herein may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change to the basic function to which it is related. 

I claim:
 1. A post comprising: (a) a rod; (b) a post; and (c) a filler; wherein, said rod comprises two ends, wherein one of said ends is positioned below the surface of the ground and the opposite end is positioned above the surface of the ground, the post is placed around the portion of the rod that protrudes from the surface of the ground, and the filler is located in the space between the rod and the inside of the post.
 2. The post of claim 1, wherein said rod comprises a continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin rod.
 3. The post of claim 1, wherein the diameter of said post is at least 25 percent larger than the outer diameter of said rod.
 4. The post of claim 1, wherein the portion of said post that is not filled with filler is filled with cement.
 5. The post of claim 1, wherein said filler comprises a high-compressive strength grout.
 6. The post of claim 1, wherein said filler comprises a rigid closed cell urethane foam.
 7. The post of claim 1, wherein said filler comprises Portland cement, calcium sulphoaluminate cement and water.
 8. The post of claim 7, wherein said calcium sulphoaluminate cement is graded in the range of fine to powdery sand.
 9. A method of installing a post comprising: (a) identifying a location for the post to be installed; (b) driving a rod into the surface of the ground; (c) placing a post over said rod; and (d) inserting a filler into the space between the rod and the inside of the post.
 10. The method of installing the post of claim 9, wherein the filler does not entirely cover the rod within the post.
 11. The method of installing the post of claim 9, wherein the outside of said post is gently tapped while said filler is still in fluid form.
 12. The method of installing the post of claim 9, wherein said filler comprises Portland cement, calcium sulphoaluminate cement and water.
 13. The method of installing the post of claim 12, wherein the calcium sulphoaluminate cement is graded in a range of fine to powdery sand.
 14. The method of installing the post of claim 9, wherein said filler comprises a rigid closed cell urethane foam.
 15. The method of installing the post of claim 9, wherein said rod comprises two ends, a bottom end and a top end, with the bottom end being located below the ground surface.
 18. The method of installing the post of claim 15, wherein said rod comprises a continuous filament fiberglass reinforced resin rod.
 19. The method of installing the post of claim 15, wherein the diameter of said post is at least 25 percent larger than the outer diameter of said rod.
 20. The method of installing the post of claim 15, wherein the portion of said post that is not filled with filler is filled with cement. 